Gov. Scott Walker: Wisconsin is working again, but there is still more work to be done (column)

Blueprint for Prosperity will further our reforms

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Wisconsin has a budget surplus of more than $911 million. It is driven by a growing economy and good fiscal management.

After losing more than 133,000 jobs and 27,000 businesses during Gov. Jim Doyle's last term, Wisconsin added more than 100,000 jobs and 15,000 businesses during my term as your Governor. That's a shift of more than 230,000 jobs and 40,000 businesses.

The unemployment rate that was 9.2 percent four years ago is now 6.2 percent. Wisconsin is working again, but there is still more work to be done.

The budget is better, too. We inherited a $3.6 billion budget deficit and turned it into a surplus. Our reforms help state and local governments balance budgets for years to come.

Our Blueprint for Prosperity will help continue the economic recovery and keep our finances stable. Our plan proposes that we:

? Deposit more than $100 million into the state's rainy fund. This will make the fund seven times larger than it ever was before I took office and puts us in good financial shape.

? Use $400 million to lower property taxes. With this change, the property tax bill on a typical home will be $100 lower than in 2013.

? Set aside about $100 million for income tax relief. We reduced taxes for everyone who pays income taxes in the current budget. This new plan would cut taxes on the lowest income levels to ensure we don't leave anyone behind in the recovery.

? Finally, we will use more than $320 million to reform withholding, so taxpayers will see more money in your paychecks. For a typical working family, it will mean $520 more in your paycheck this year. That's real money.

Now, some have suggested we shouldn't send this surplus back to the taxpayers. They want to keep more of your money in Madison.

As I travel the state each week, I don't hear many people telling me that they send too little money to Madison. They don't tell me that taxes are too low or even that they are just about right.

People around the state tell me that the way to fuel the economic recovery is to put more money in the hands of the hard-working taxpayers. Our state's consumers and job creators will do more to stimulate the economy.

We're turning things around. We're heading in the right direction, but there is more work to be done. Passing our Blueprint for Prosperity will help move Wisconsin forward.

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Gov. Scott Walker: Wisconsin is working again, but there is still more work to be done (column)

Wisconsin has a budget surplus of more than $911 million. It is driven by a growing economy and good fiscal management.

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